What’s a Workflow Engine?

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A workflow engine automates work processes by following a process diagram created by a process designer. It assigns tasks to employees and speeds up the process. The designer focuses on the next step, while the programmer focuses on how the steps happen.

A workflow engine is a computer version of a process diagram. Since you would be drawing a graph to illustrate the steps you need to take to complete a task or work task, a workflow engine is how a computer follows the steps of a work process. Businesses tend to use workflow engines to automate work processes.

For example, if a company sells a particular product, an individual from the company would map out the stages in the sales process, and the process could begin when the customer receives a piece of direct mail from the company. The next process would be for the recipient to call to get more information. Then a sales rep would either call back the customer or talk to the customer at the time of the call. The next step is for the customer to place an order or go to the company’s website to place an order and the final piece of the process could be when the company sends the customer a coupon for a discount on their next purchase. This information would be entered into the workflow engine in order to automate the assignment of tasks to different employees in the company or to alert an employee of the next steps that need to be taken.

These employees do not use the Workflow Engine, rather they use Workflow Engine compatible software. A computer programmer and process designer would be involved in creating the workflow engine. As a computer programmer works on developing a workflow engine, the focus is on how the steps in the process happen. The process designer involved in building the workflow engine is concerned with the next step or what happens as a result of the previous step.

Typically, the process designer is someone who works in the industry, such as a development manager or business analyst. The main purpose of a workflow engine is to automate processes and speed up the process. For example, in a situation where it is a sales process, the ultimate goal in using a workflow engine is to speed up the process from the moment a potential customer learns about a product or service up to the moment a purchase is made.




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